1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to athletic apparel. More particularly, the invention relates to pants for use by ice hockey players. Specifically, the invention relates to a pair of pants that are manufactured from a stretch-type fabric and include reinforcing supports in the areas that will lie on either side of a player's knee.
2. Background Information
It is fairly common for athletes to sustain injuries to their knees during practice sessions or games. In many instances, the athlete has to use a support of some type to protect their knees in order to prevent further injury or to hold their knee in a particular position to reduce pain. Many supports and brace type devices have been disclosed in the prior art for protecting and supporting knees. These devices include tensor bandages, elastic knee braces, and knee supports that include plastic strips or rigid, hinged aluminum strips to keep the knee in a certain position. Some of these support devices are simply pulled over the athlete's foot and raised up to their knee and the elasticity of the device holds it in place. Most of these appliances, however, are positioned proximate the athlete's knee with a series of straps. The appliances need to be positioned accurately to ensure proper limitation of the movement of the knee.
The prior art appliances work fairly well until they come into contact with clothing such as football or baseball pants that end at or below the knee. As these pants move up and down in response to movement by the athlete, they tend to rub against the knee supporting appliance and push or pull the support out of the optimum position. This may not only prevent the appliance from protecting the athlete's knee but can also result in the athlete's play being impeded because the appliance gets in the way.
This problem has been partially addressed in the prior art, such as in the device proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,056, issued to Gardner et al. Gardner et al discloses a pair of athletic pants that are designed to be worn over a knee supporting device such as a device that is secured to the athlete's leg by straps wrapped around the thigh and calf. Gardner's athletic pants include a flap sewn onto the inner surface of the pant leg at a position that would fall slightly above the athlete's knee. The thigh strap of the supporting device can be releasably connected to this flap to reduce the tendency of the supporting device to slide down the athlete's leg in response to movements of the pants. Gardner et al's pants may help in keeping the knee supporting device in a slightly better position that if there was no connection between the pants and supporting device, but the athlete has to secure the knee supporting device to their knee, pull the pant leg over the device and then secure the device to the flap. During the step of pulling the pant leg over the device, the device can be shifted out of optimum position. Furthermore, the positioning of the flap and the strap of the device can be slightly off, resulting in the device being shifted by the flap when the athlete next moves.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved device for supporting the knee of an athlete that allows for correct positioning of the support around the knee and that is easier to put on and maintain in the correct position.